People who know of my fascination with Route 66 occasionally ask me whether I would have preferred to live in an era when the Mother Road was more vibrant, where I could see long-gone motels and businesses open and prospering again. I admit that if a time machine were available, I would visit the 1950s … Continue reading The good ol’ days weren’t always good
Category: Highways
Lake Overholser Bridge may become pedestrian-only
First, the good news about the old Lake Overholser Bridge on an old alignment of Route 66, as told by the Daily Oklahoman: Now the bridge, just outside Bethany city limits, is to be restored by Oklahoma City. The restored bridge will lead to a project Hoskison envisioned: a statue of Will Rogers in a … Continue reading Lake Overholser Bridge may become pedestrian-only
Arizona kicks
Mike Di Paola of Bloomberg News drives down Route 66 in Arizona, focusing on the vintage 150-mile stretch of the Mother Road in the western third of the state and the town of Seligman. Check it out.
Lincoln to promote obscure 66 alignment
Geoff Ladd, chief of Logan County (Ill.) tourism, said the agency will be promoting a 1926-30 alignment of Route 66 and a second, more obscure alignment through Lincoln, reports the Lincoln Courier. A second alignment, which was used for only 10 months in 1928, means the Logan County Courthouse and still more local businesses can … Continue reading Lincoln to promote obscure 66 alignment
Dang it, we don’t want to be bypassed again
KOTV in Tulsa uncovered an interesting story about the Route 66 town of Catoosa, Okla., and the state highway department's plan to close an access ramp from an adjacent highway. The state wishes to close a ramp from westbound U.S. 412 onto northbound Oklahoma 66, aka old Route 66. The state says the ramp's design … Continue reading Dang it, we don’t want to be bypassed again
Two Texas sites added to National Register
The National Park Service announced today that two Route 66 sites in Texas were added to the National Register of Historic Places. In the small settlement of Conway in Carson County, an old section of Route 66, listed as Texas Farm Road 2161, was placed on the register. Here's what Mock Turtle Press said about … Continue reading Two Texas sites added to National Register
Let’s hear it for Old 27
The resurrection of Old Route 66 as a tourist attraction has spawned smaller, but no less enthusiastic, efforts to revitalize other historic two-lane roads. U.S. 50, the Lincoln Highway and the National Road are examples of this. It looks like U.S. 27 is being added to the list. According to the The Morning Sun of … Continue reading Let’s hear it for Old 27
Meeting of the minds
Logan County (Ill.) Tourism director Geoff Ladd and Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project historian Carl Johnson joined forces on Thursday to try to find all of the obscure alignments of the Mother Road through Lincoln, Ill., reported the Lincoln Courier. Talk about a dynamic duo -- Ladd has already proved his worth in a short … Continue reading Meeting of the minds
Cyber-driving
This Associated Press article touts a bunch of Web sites for people who want to take a virtual road trip down Route 66 and other historic highways if they can't do the real thing. Many of these sites have already been linked here, but a few interesting finds turned up: StateEnds.com has a group of … Continue reading Cyber-driving
Road to Albuquerque was a “joke”
It's hard to believe now, but from 1926 until 1937, driving Route 66 from eastern New Mexico to Albuquerque was hardly a straight line. Near Santa Rosa, one had to drive north to Santa Fe, then drop southward, following a mostly parallel path of the Rio Grande, to the Duke City. The Free New Mexican … Continue reading Road to Albuquerque was a “joke”